Oh, What Blessings
by chalantness
Summary: Prompt #37: gift. Wally takes the kids shopping for Artemis's Valentine's Day gift: "He's already taking them to the mall to buy those Valentine's cards with the characters on them and Artemis is running late, so it's like, the perfect opportunity."


**Title: **_Oh, What Blessings  
><em>**Rating:** K+  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 2,300+  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Wally/Artemis, their kids Jayden and Elizabeth a.k.a. "Ellie"  
><strong>Summary:<strong> He's already taking them to the mall to buy those Valentine's cards with the characters on them and Artemis is running late, so it's like, the perfect opportunity  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> #37: gift  
><strong>Other Inspirations:<strong> written for Valentine's Day

**Notes:** Fluff all around. Companion to/same universe as "My Darling Dear."

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><p><strong>Oh, What Blessings<strong>

* * *

><p>Wally wants to take the kids shopping to get their mother something for Valentine's Day.<p>

It was totally Dick's idea, too, because he was talking about Maria wanting do so something artsy for Zatanna. Jayden and Ellie aren't big on crafts like she is, but he's already taking them to the mall to buy those Valentine's cards with the characters on them and some candy to tape to the back to give to their classmates, and Artemis is running late at the studio, so it's like, the perfect opportunity.

"Remember to get at least forty for each," Artemis tells over speakerphone as he's pulling into his parents' driveway. "Jay wants to get those Tootsie Roll lollipops and Ellie wants to get Kit-Kats."

"Forty, Tootsie-pops, Kit-Kats. Got it."

"Don't forget it," she orders, though he's not sure why. He's got the kids _with_ him if he really needed to ask. "Oh, and make sure they're done with homework first."

"You act like I wasn't part of raising them all these years," he tells her, feigning offense in his tone.

She laughs. "Alright, I've got to get back to work. I love you."

"I love you, too, crazy woman," he says, and she scoffs before hanging up. He smirks and slides his phone into his back pocket as he gets out, locking the doors with the remote.

Jayden and Ellie are in the living room with their books on their laps when his mother lets him in. They always start their homework right after they get picked up. He knows his mom doesn't turn on the TV or anything else until they do it, but his kids are nothing like him in that area and are really good about being responsible and not putting off work. He loves it.

And they totally have his metabolism, too, so they eat all the time. You can't punish them by refusing them snacks or anything because it's just bad for all of them if they go without they food. They _don't_, but still. His mom complains that it's like he never left the house, only worse because there're two mouths so it's twice as expensive. But she refuses to let him give her money when he offers it.

Whatever.

Women will always be crazy to him.

Anyway, Jayden is leaning forward a little and pointing to something in Ellie's textbook with the eraser end of his #2 pencil, and it makes Wally smile. Jay's really, really good at math. Ellie isn't behind or anything, but she just has more trouble with it than Jayden ever did. (Like her father, her prowess is science.)

They're at the ages where they're starting to not get along as much, but Jayden never refuses to help his sister and it's awesome.

Wally kind of stands there and keeps quiet and watches them with his mom at his side and smiling warmly. Ellie's eyebrows are wrinkled together and her lip is out in a pout, but Jay says something that probably clicks, because her eyes get all bright and she breaks into this ear-to-ear smile and Wally can practically see the wheels turning. She scribbles something down, and they high-five after Jayden checks it.

"Daddy!" Ellie exclaims when she finally notices him, and he opens his arms in the exact second she speeds into them, scooping her up. "How long have you been there?" she giggles.

"Not long. Ready to buy your Valentine's cards?"

"And the candy, too. Kit-Kats and Tootsie-pops," Jayden reminds. See? If Wally had forgotten, his smart boy wouldn't have trouble remembering.

Wally smiles, "Right. Once you pack up and say thank you to Grandma, we'll get going."

He sets Ellie back on her feet and she skips back to the table. She's got his knack for leaving her stuff _everywhere_, but she knows she has to clean it up on her own because she made the mess on her own, so ultimately, it's not so bad. Jayden helps her put everything back into her backpack, though, while Wally chats with his mom about weekend plans.

"Bruce and Selina are hosting Valentine's this year," she reminds him, "and it's a brunch, so you can't be late."

Wally rolls his eyes, but honestly? Between Artemis and his mom, he doesn't need a PDA or a calendar or anything, so he probably _needs_ all the reminders. "Got it, Mom."

She hits his shoulder at his tone and he laughs. "Do you and Artemis have plans after brunch? Do you need me to watch the kids?"

And see, he knows his mom and knows she thinks she's being subtle about asking to spend time with her grandchildren. They see her almost every day, but it's awesome that she loves them so much that she wants to be with them constantly. It's even more awesome that, unlike some other kids, Jayden and Ellie actually _like_ visiting the family most of the time.

"Nah, we want to spend Valentine's with them," he assures. "Megan's taking them and Maria the day after, anyway, so that's when we'll have our own thing."

"That's sweet. Did they get her anything?"

"I'm actually going to have them pick something out right now," he tells her, and then rolls his eyes when she looks completely surprised that he thought of it himself. "Okay, it was kind of Dick's idea."

His mother smiles. "Richard has always been a sweetheart."

"Did you say we were going to buy Mommy something?" Ellie asks once her backpack is on her shoulders and she's ready to leave.

"Yeah," he answers, "For Valentine's Day. So come on, we've got some gifts to pick out."

... ...

They spend all of five minutes at Target. He knows they're not going to get Artemis's gifts from here, so once the kids picked out which kind of cards they wanted (Jay gets ones with characters from this card game that's in right now and Ellie gets ones from this Disney Channel movie she's in love with) and grabbed their candy, they head for another store.

And because they're not exactly sure what to get her, they go through about four stores in an hour with nothing really catching their eye.

Artemis should be home within the hour, so they're short on time if he doesn't want to come up with an excuse to stay longer. But at the same time, he doesn't want to rush the kids. He already bought her this white gold necklace with her birthstone and the matching bracelet _and_ he's taking her out for dinner, so these gifts are entirely from them. He wants them to love what they pick for her.

"Let's try in here," Jayden says, tugging his sister's sleeve and pointing.

Ellie huffs a little as she yanks her arm away. Wally tries not to laugh. She's totally her mom in that she's not always big on being yanked around, or at least _feeling_ like it. She's also got her mother's feistiness and sarcastic wit, too, while managing to get his stubbornness. It's hilarious to witness so long as you're not on the receiving end. Otherwise, you're pretty much screwed.

Jayden is mellow in comparison to his sister, but he's still kind of a riot. He can't ever sit still and talks whenever he doesn't have food in his mouth, but it's an endearing kind of talkative and not quite the annoying kind Wally purposely was when he was his age. He's just like his mom with his moods, though, because he can snap from one extreme to another and take you completely off guard.

Anyway.

The store has a kind of a random assortment of different things, and they come close to walking out after twenty minutes of browsing. But Jayden calls them over from one end of the store before he's about to tell them they should head out, and when they find him he has a snow globe in his hands.

The base is pink with different hearts and inside there is a crystal family of a mom, dad, daughter, and son holding hands and walking down a busy city street.

"Can I see?" Ellie asks, holding her hands out, and when she has it in her little hands, she tips it gently and watches the flakes swirl. "I love it."

"Yeah?" Wally's pretty sure this is the one, though. He's doesn't know what a snow globe has to do with Valentine's Day, but the kids really like it. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that the family in the snow globe looks just like theirs. "I love it, too."

The employee that rings them up offers to wrap it for them after she's surrounded it with Styrofoam pieces and slid it into its box. The wrapping paper she pulls out is red and glossy, and she seems completely impressed with Jayden and Ellie as they tell her that it's for their mom and all of the reasons why she'd love it. Wally smiles. His kids are total sweethearts.

When she's done, she wraps a white bow around it and sticks a gift tag on, handing Wally a Sharpie so they can write on it.

"Why don't you write it?" Wally asks, handing the pen to Ellie. Her handwriting is even nicer than her mom's, and she dots her I's with hearts and swirls her letters. It's completely adorable.

Ellie writes, "_Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy,_" and then hands the Sharpie to Jayden for him to write, "_We love you_," underneath it. They both sign their names and then cap the Sharpie before handing it back to the lady, telling her to have a good day as they're leaving the store.

When they're heading back towards Target because that's where they parked, they pass a kiosk that sells jewelry, and Ellie asks to see it.

The salesman tells them that beads are stones and shells that are not as expensive or extravagant and that the charm is in their unique qualities. And Wally can tell that they're definitely a great quality. Dick is his best friend, and he sees what Zatanna and Selina wear because money is not a problem for Dick and Bruce when it comes to presents. He knows what expensive looks like.

They're having a special about buying two and getting the third for free, and Ellie seems set on getting her something, so Wally caves in and lets her tell the man which ones she wants as he fishes for his wallet. He figures it's because Jayden picked the other present and she wants a chance, too, which is fine with him.

The man puts them in individual boxes and wraps bows around each of them, then puts them in a nice gift bag and fluffs tissue around it before giving it to Ellie.

"Thank you!" she says sweetly, and Jayden just smiles.

... ...

Come Valentine's Day, he's being awoken by two voices chorusing, "Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy!" beside their bed.

Jayden and Ellie are standing there in their pajamas with these wide smiles on their faces. He smiles and rubs the heel of his hand against his eyes as he's sitting up, and Ellie sits herself on the sliver of the bed between him and the nightstand and tucks her legs under their covers. A fold-out tray is being set on his lap as Jayden walks around the bed and slips in on the other side.

Artemis runs her fingers through his hair as she kisses his temple and mumbles, "Happy Valentine's Day, Wally," against his skin, and he hums and presses their lips together before she can pull away.

"You guys made me breakfast?" Wally asks, blinking a few times to focus on the tray in front of him.

"Mommy helped us," Jayden announces as he squishes himself against Artemis's side.

"Surprised?" Ellie asks.

He laughs. "Definitely, especially since we have brunch soon."

"It's in two and a half hours," Artemis reminds, grinning, "and you'll probably be hungry before then, so."

He flashes a pearly white smile, and cuts off a section of his chocolate chip pancakes with banana slices and syrup and stuffs it in his mouth. "Oh, your gifts!" he suddenly remembers, though it comes out as a jumbled mess because of the food he's trying to chew on.

Ellie seems to get him, though, because she exclaims, "I'll get them!" before slipping back out and running to her room to retrieve the presents from her closet.

Artemis gives him a look and Wally smiles as he stuffs more pancakes into his mouth and Jayden just laughs. When Ellie returns, she carefully avoids shifting the food too much as she squeezes herself between her parents, and Jayden crawls over Artemis so he can sit between her and his sister. They set the presents into their mother's lap, who asks, "For me?" like she didn't expect it at all.

(He knows she saw the presents over the weekend when she was cleaning, but obviously she didn't know _what_ they were; just that they got her some.)

She opens the bracelets in the gift bag, first, and seems really fascinated by them as she holds them against the light. "They're beautiful," she says after Ellie tells her that's the one she picked out, and then kisses the girls' forehead as she clasps them around her wrist.

When she pulls the box into her lap, Wally can tell this is the one they really want to see her open because their eyes are all wide and they're kind of holding their breaths as they watch her.

She pops open the lid once the paper is out of the way and tilts the box gently, spilling Styrofoam bits onto her lap. She catches the snow globe in her hand, and he watches her face so he can't miss the way her eyes water instantly and her lips part and her eyes get all bright. She's breathless as she tips it and watches the flakes swirl around the little family, and he can tell she loves it as much as they do.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy!" Jayden and Ellie say together.

Artemis laughs all breathlessly and kisses both of their cheeks, and he feels her hand reach for him behind their kids and grasp his elbow, squeezing, as she tells them, "Happy Valentine's Day."


End file.
